Thermophiles

(Methanopyrus kandleri)

As their name implies, these microbes love heat.  Thermophiles thrive at 
temperatures that would scald or kill most other types of life.  Found in 
hot springs and deep sea vents, they are the most studied of extremophile 
types.  Regular thermophiles are those that thrive temperatures greater than 
45 degrees Centigrade.  Hyperthermophiles can stand temperatures above 80 
degrees Centigrade.  Scientists at the United Kingdom’s University of 
Bristol (famous for its dreaded Chicken) have discovered bacteria that live 
at 169 degrees centigrade.

Organic materials have been proven to exist under deep sea smokers, leading 
to the belief that deep sea thermophiles have a reciprocal relationship with 
their environments.  They thrive on what is spewed out, while at the same 
time changing its chemical makeup.

Click on the black smoker video link to view the smoker in action!